


Lionheart Orchids

by YokaiAngel



Category: Bleach
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Genderbending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:20:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24965872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YokaiAngel/pseuds/YokaiAngel
Summary: After her unfortunate death, Ichigo goes to the Soul Society. Upon her memorable arrival, she finds herself getting involved in Kuchiki affairs in order to get her best friend married.or, alternatively.Ichigo avoids problems by transporting herself to the soul society only to land herself into a bigger one.
Relationships: Abarai Renji/Kuchiki Rukia, Kuchiki Byakuya/Kurosaki Ichigo, Kuchiki Rukia & Kurosaki Ichigo
Comments: 5
Kudos: 73





	Lionheart Orchids

**Author's Note:**

> Shunsui Kyōraku–1st Division  
> Suì-Fēng–2nd Division  
> Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi/Rose–3rd  
> Retsu Unohana–4th  
> Shinji Hirako–5th  
> Byakuya Kuchiki–6th  
> Sajin Komamura.–7th  
> Lisa Yadōmaru–8th  
> Rukia Kuchiki–9th  
> Tōshirō Hitsugaya–10th  
> Kenpachi Zaraki–11th  
> Mayuri Kurotsuchi–12th  
> Jūshirō Ukitake–13th

_"Nobody's death is impending."_

_..."Well, technically everyone's death is impending."_

_― Eoin Colfer, The Last Guardian_

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki dies at twenty-five years old in a bank robbery from a bullet wound that had ricocheted in her body and nicked her infrarenal aorta and ultimately caused her death. She had knocked one criminal unconscious when they had threatened to kill a seven-year-old boy, the other had shot her in the ensuing panic.

She is dead before the police arrive. Her last words before the police arrive is to the poor boy who was watching her bleed out. He was crying but Ichigo was smiling. 

She says, “God kid you’re going to need so much therapy.” He looks at her with wide eyes and lips parted to show a missing tooth, she continues, “You’re gonna be okay.” she promises. 

Ichigo dies smiling. She dies protecting. 

Standing over her own body listening to other people cry she decides it was an okay way to go. She can’t stay though. So she leaves. 

Years down the road when the boy grows into a young man he describes the incident for the first time in a long time and he says, “It was like she had life all figured out. Like she was completely content. It was _amazing_. I hope I can get to the place she was at that moment someday too.”

Ichigo stands on a rooftop pondering what she should do. On one hand, she can try to make it home before the police reach her family and inform them of her death first. Honestly, though, Ichigo does not want to. She hates the idea of seeing all of them break down because this time Ichigo is actually, _truly_ , and completely _dead_. Most people describe Ichigo as a selfless person but even she wants to avoid some matters. Shiro and Zangetsu are silent and she knows this is a decision she must come to on her own. She has performed Konso before but she had never seen it done on a shinigami. 

She makes a decision, “If this doesn’t work,” she mumbles, “I’ll go tell.” and without any other hesitation, she presses the hilt to herself. 

Ichigo Kurosaki vanishes. 

The Captain-Commander sits at the head of the table with a dull expression on his face. The meeting was not mandatory so many captains were absent. Shunsui sent a look that reflected how bored he was to the white-haired man sitting next to him. Jushiro sends him a small smile in return. 

Inwardly he bemoans the quietness that had settled over Seireitei. He enjoyed the peace and was glad that everyone was settling into the peace that they had fought so hard to acquire but missed the activity and unpredictability that forced many shinigami to abandon their monotonous schedules. 

Kyouraku inwardly sighed, ‘I suppose I’ll have to deal with it while it lasts.’ He concludes as he tries to tune into the meeting only to ultimately fail. Beside him, Jushiro smiled at him knowing exactly what his melodramatic friend was thinking. 

Toshiro and Kenpachi had finished their squabble over one of the unseated members of the 11th who was continuously picking a fight with one of the younger’s new members who had just graduated from the academy. The whole thing was rather traditional for the Kenpachi’s squad and usually ended with the older squad captain agreeing to teach his squad members a lesson that they would not forget. 

Shinji was sitting next to Byakuya quietly snickering and the Kuchiki noble was quietly sipping his tea. The sixth captain had said his piece at the beginning and was patiently waiting to leave. Kyoraku admired the man’s poker face at least, even he with a thousand years of experience with the Kuchiki’s had trouble reading the younger man. 

Shunsui opens his mouth to finally, _finally_ , announce the meeting closed but is immediately cut off by a blinding flash of light and a crash as the table they surrounded splintered. In a blur of action, all of the captains speedily fled from where they were sitting, hands reaching for the hilt of their zanpakuto.

A groan erupts from the ruined table, the person who crashed through it sat up slowly and the sight of familiar bright orange hair made the captains pause. Ichigo Kurosaki sits up with a hiss of annoyance and several choice words. 

‘Well then,’ Shunsui thinks, ‘that did not take long at all.’ as he stares at the cursing woman in front of him. He looks at the captains around him, wondering how they were taking the unexpected visitor. 

His best friend looks as confused as he is. Toshiro was pinching the bridge of his nose, his face the picture of resigned disbelief. Shinji mostly looks amused if a bit confused. Zaraki is grinning, no doubt because his favorite person to fight is in front of him. Byakuya is carefully eyeing Ichigo as if waiting for something. 

Later Byakuya will think back to Ichigo’s entrance into the Soul Society, loud, unrestrained, and unexpected and think it a premonition of everything that follows. 

Ichigo is the first to speak, “That fucking hurt,” she hissed as she drew herself out from the wreckage. She clutches her head looking slightly disoriented. 

Toshiro is the first to break, “Kurosaki, what are you doing here?” The resignation in his voice perfectly matched his expression. 

Ichigo blinks at him as if just noticing them, perhaps more disoriented than Kyoraku had first assumed. 

“Oh. I died.” Ichigo states so matter-of-fact that it takes a moment to register what she said. The silence led her to tack on an additional, “Permanently.” She adds. 

Ukitake takes a step forward, stunned and concerned, “Y-you, you _died?_ ” It is the first time they had heard the sick captain stutter since the war ended. 

Kyoraku felt like all the air had been knocked out of his lungs. Ichigo nods, seemingly taking her death a lot better than the other people in the room. Even Zaraki’s bloodthirsty grin had fallen off his face. 

“Yeah,” The orange-haired woman nods, “Some dicks robbing a bank tried to shoot a kid and I stopped them but they got a lucky shot in.” She shrugs before looking down and frowning at her Shinigami robes. Her nose wrinkles as the tea from the pot that Byakuya had been drinking drips from her clothes. 

Byakuya takes in a slow breath despite his own inner shock, “Kurosaki Ichigo, allow me to escort you to a place to get changed,” He requested. 

Ichigo blinks at him but nods in consent anyway, standing up and stilling her hands in order to stop herself from trying to wipe away the tea. 

“I’ll talk to you guys after I get cleaned up,” Ichigo says. She looks at Byakuya and with a short nod from the man they both shunpo away.

* * *

Byakuya brings her to the Kuchiki mansion. Ichigo had only visited it once after the battle with Yhwach to talk to Rukia as she recovered from the war. The mansion was a traditional Japanese home but almost four times as large with spanning gardens and, unsurprisingly, several cherry blossom trees. 

Ichigo looked around the hallways, Byakuya was leading her down. Admittedly charmed by the traditional decor and occasional modern accents. The raven-haired man was talking to what seemed to be an older man, it was hard to tell with spirits, who was continuously glancing between Ichigo and the man he was talking to. Byakuya’s face almost seemed to be perfectly neutral but his lips were slightly more pressed together than usual and one eyebrow seemed to raise just slightly above the other. 

Ichigo took this to mean that he was just as baffled by the other man’s strange behavior as she was. Never one to be left out of a conversation the woman moved forward. 

“Is something wrong, Byakuya?” She questioned, setting one of her hands to draw his attention. 

Byakuya turned to look at her but minutely shook his head, in order to convey that it was nothing she needed to worry about. Ichigo stared at him for a few seconds longer. 

The man stared at the two, a nagging feeling forming as he stared at the two. Before he blinked and forced himself to regain his composure. He shifts into a small bow at the, frankly gorgeous, young woman his master had brought home. 

He raised his head, “Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. I am Aikawa Hanaoka, a personal vassal for the Kuchiki family head.” His speech was polite and the words well-rehearsed. 

He watched as the young woman blinked and tilted her head to the side. Her amber gaze was piercing and reflected an indomitable spirit. If he had not been serving his master for as long as he had he might have flinched.

Finally, the orange-haired woman grinned at him, “Nice to meet ya. I’m Kurosaki Ichigo. Feel free to call me Ichigo, Hanaoka.” She must have read the surprise over the familiarity on his face, “Anyone who’s managed to be Byakuya’s friend for this long has my respect.” She grinned. 

Hanaoka watched as his master sent her a stern look but stayed silent on the matter. For a moment he watched the two enter a battle of wills. He pondered why the name had seemed so familiar before he reminded himself of what he was supposed to be doing.

“Please,” He requested, “Allow me to escort you to a room where you can get changed.” 

Ichigo reluctantly broke away first and tilted her head in his direction in acknowledgment. He walked to the necessary location and pulled out clothing he thought would suit her. He was not sure what the relationship was between his master and the young lady but she addressed Byakuya familiarly and his master had not argued against it. That was more than enough for him to give his respect. 

At the end of the hallway, Hanaoka notices two female servants down the hallway quietly gossiping, bows politely, and makes his way to scold them for their neglectful actions. 

Ichigo quietly slips into the room. Byakuya stares after, concerned. She had been strangely… Byakuya did not know how to describe it. Quiet? No. She had always been that way. More… tame. 

The woman Byakuya knew was a five-foot-nine woman of instinct and honesty that came out so brashly it could bring a fully grown man to tears. It was even a proven fact considering she had already done so.

Ichigo was stubborn and unafraid to say what she was thinking and powerful enough to get away with it and the Kuchiki had reluctantly begun to respect her. 

After the war with Aizen and Yhwach and Ichigo’s essential role in both. She had proven her strength time and time again. For her life to just _end_ at twenty-five only a fraction of what the shinigami she had fought to protect was truly devastating. 

Many shinigami did not remember their life but they knew the tragedy of death. 

Five minutes ticked by… then ten passed and Byakuya began to frown. At fifteen minutes he began to grow increasingly more concerned. Despite noble training informing him he should never question a lady on the amount of time she took to get ready but he knew that Ichigo was not the type. 

“Kurosaki Ichigo,” he called out, loud enough that he knew she could hear, “I am coming in.” He received no answer. 

He opened the sliding door gently and took a glance around the room. As his eyes fell on Ichigo his breath caught and his heart dropped. Despite everything she had been through, the tragedy, the war, and the death that had constantly surrounded her, not once had Byakuya ever seen Ichigo cry. 

Her tears were large and streamed down her face. Her body shook as quiet sobs racked through her but not a sound left her. Byakuya moved forward before he knew what he was doing. He dropped to his knees and gathered her shaking form into his arms. 

She buries her head in the crook of his neck but she still does not make a sound. He gently runs his hand through her hair. Eventually, Ichigo’s shaking stops but her grip on his robes does not. 

“I’m sorry,” Byakuya whispers and tightens his grip. 

For what he does not know. The loss of her life? The short life? The lack of a childhood? Living through so much only to die the way she did?

Eventually, Ichigo moves her head back, “Thanks, Byakuya.” She murmurs. 

He nods and eventually they both clamor their way into standing. They both say nothing for a long moment. Byakuya straightens his clothes patiently while Ichigo fixes her own. She uses the palm of her hand to clear the tear streaks.

Without a word she gently brings her hand to one side of Byakuya’s face before gently pressing her lips to his cheek. Ichigo is a tall woman standing at an impressive 173 cm, only 6 cm shorter than the captain. 

They both step out of the room.

Hanaoka was waiting outside the room. The expression on his face is carefully neutral and Byakuya and Ichigo are quick to discover why. Behind him was a woman, dressed impeccably not a hair or a crease in sight. Her face holds a traditional beauty but her expression is stern and her raven hair is peppered with gray streaks and pulled into a harsh bun. 

Ichigo had not noticed that Byakuya’s body language had been relaxed until his body seized up. His expression was as cold as when she first met him. It did not take long to determine why. 

“Elder Tomoe,” Byakuya greeted, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

The woman gave a polite smile in return, “It is so rare for you to bring a guest Byakuya-sama, you will have to forgive this old woman for being curious.” 

Ichigo raised an eyebrow and readied herself to call the woman out because gossip did not even spread that fast among the Shinigami Women’s Society. Byakuya threw her a look that would have been threatening if it had not been directed at the orange-haired hybrid. 

Ichigo ignores him, “Ichigo Kurosaki. I’d say it was a pleasure to meet you but I tend to be a little displeased when the first thing people do is throw bullshit at my face.” She stated. 

It was rather satisfying to watch Tomoe reel back, Hanaoka wheeze, and Byakuya’s face dropped into resignation. The elder seemed to be trying to form a sentence but Ichigo did not give her a chance. 

She shifted her body so she was directly facing Byakuya, “We need to be getting back. The other captains are still waiting for us.” She whirled around like the contained disaster that she was, said a quick goodbye to Hanaoka, and headed back down the hall. Byakuya tilted his head in a short bow and followed after her. 

Hanaoka politely excused himself as Elder Tomoe recovered her composure. Her gaze lingered in the direction of where the two shinigami had disappeared. Her eyes narrowed speculatively as she collected her thoughts. 

_‘I will need to inform the council about this.’_ She thought.

* * *

Byakuya was in a dilemma. 

The elders of his clan refused to let Rukia wed his lieutenant. Rukia had worked hard to gain her position as a Captain of the 9th Division and despite Renji’s status as his vice-captain, it was ill-met with his clan elders. The matter was that they had hoped that his adoptive sister could have been married into another noble family or someone who had held sway over the political world of Seireitei.

They had stalled Rukia and Renji’s courtship to the point of frustration. The two childhood friends had been dancing around each other for years and now they were finally ready to lock it down. 

Which started a series of spiraling events that the Kuchiki clan head was reluctant to admit to being his own fault. The disastrous meeting between the clan elder and Ichigo Kurosaki he knew he had much to answer for when he returned. They would use this as an excuse to turn the meeting towards Rukia’s marriage and delay the courtship even further.

The Captains’ discussions about what division Kurosaki had exploded into a full out brawl, although admittedly one-sided, between Kenpachi and Shinji. Ichigo had planted their faces firmly into the ground. 

No sign of the sorrow she had shown not even an hour earlier. 

_‘Ichigo Kurosaki has never been the type to uselessly brood,’_ Byakuya thought. 

After hours of useless debate and with no conclusion in sight, Kyouraku had concluded the meeting for the night. The Captain-Commander had looked rather resigned and for once it was not exaggerated. 

The simple fact was that there was no place to put Ichigo that suited her talents because all the positions of Captains and their vices were already filled. It also did not help that Ichigo could overpower many of them as well, not to mention many of the personal relationships she held with the upper ranked shinigami to put her in a lower seated position would not be well received by some of the other shinigami. 

On some level, Byakuya pitied Shunsui for having to make the decision, and judging by the look on Ichigo’s face so did she. The orange-haired shinigami had agreed to stay at Shinji’s and the other vizard’s residence until she found a place of her own. 

As the meeting concluded and Byakuya began to mentally prepare for what was undoubtedly waiting for him at his residence. 

Byakuya had received notice at the front gate by a repentant Hanaoka that the Kuchiki Elders wished for his attendance. As he entered the room he was met with the five elders of his clan. 

It was rare to see them all together. Despite their unification in making his life as clan head as difficult as possible they rarely came to an agreement without prompting. Elder Tomoe was the second oldest followed by Elder Asahi and Elder Touma. 

The oldest elder sat in the center, his hair was as white as Toshiro’s contrasting with his tanned skin, unusual for a Kuchiki’s who were all naturally pale, Riku Kuchiki was the most experienced elder in the clan. A former Shinigami captain and thoroughly versed in the clan laws and politics the man’s whimsical personality and indiscernible moods had often led to the clan head spending many sleepless nights trying to shift it to his favor. 

Elder Tomoe is not the one to start the meeting despite her obvious part in it. Elder Touma is often the one who starts these meetings. The ones that usually imply that he and his elder sister were scheming. 

“Elder Tomoe has informed us that a Captain’s meeting was called today. You have our apologies that we have not allowed you to rest. Please feel free to rest,” Touma murmured. 

Byakuya tilted his head in gratitude before he poured himself a cup of tea. The others stayed quiet as he drank. Realistically, he knew that Touma was going to be directed towards his disapproval of the clan head’s sister and Renji’s marriage. Lately, all the meetings concluded in Byakuya firmly stating that the elders could only delay the marriage for so long. 

The clan head reluctantly lowered his cup, “Indeed, the original meeting was called as a report on the state of the divisions,” He demurred. 

Elder Riku raised an eyebrow, “Originally?”

“Indeed. We received an unexpected visitor at the captain’s meeting.” Byakuya stated. 

Elder Tomoe spoke up, “Does this have to do with the young lady I saw this evening?” The woman was clearly fishing for information but for what Byakuya was not sure. 

Ichigo had become a well-known name after her participation in the winter war, although each of the thirteen squads had attempted to censor as much information as possible. Partly, because no one wanted to release how close they came to destruction but mostly because no one wanted Ichigo to find out about the overwhelming amount of hero worship that had spread across the Soul Society.

Despite himself, Byakuya frowned, the sudden change in his expression startled some of them. He had never been one to show his emotions in front of them. 

He took a breath, “Ichigo Kurosaki passed away today. It is being discussed which division she will join and at what position.” 

Elder Touma frowned, “My apologies, Clan Head but I do not understand why the appearance of a new spirit would warrant such attention.” He looked confused and some of the other council members. 

Byakuya watched as Elder Riku frowned leaning forward bringing a hand to his face, he seemed to be making connections in his mind, “If I recall correctly,” He said, “Ichigo was the name of the ryoka who participated in the battles against Aizen and Yhwach.”

The clan tilted his head in acknowledgment, “You have indeed.” He said. 

Elder Asahi, by far the quietest of the Kuchiki council, chimed, “But what does the ryoka have to do with the young lady Tomoe mentioned?”

Byakuya blinked, “Elders,” he started, “I believe there has been a misunderstanding. Ichigo Kurosaki was the young woman Elder Tomoe was speaking of.”

Several of the councilors blink in surprise but quickly move on. Each of them is old enough that a mistaken gender is of little consequence.

Elder Tomoe seemed to disagree, she frowned, “Why would a respectable young woman allow such uncouth rumors? Preposterous.” She said, her tone was full of scorn and distaste. 

The clan head felt blood rush through his head, “Ichigo Kurosaki is a noble warrior and I will not have you imply such things,” Byakuya snarled, his tone calm but eyes shifting to mercury in his silent anger. 

For the first time, Elder Riku showed interest in their conversation. He observed the boy he had known since birth as he stared down one of his fellow councilors as she jerked back at the rare show of anger that he had not seen since before the death of his wife. Thoughtfully, he stroked his beard, _‘Perhaps... just perhaps…’_ He thought. Absently he saw Tomoe give a weak apology and the clan head’s passive-aggressive acceptance. 

His thoughts turned to the now-former Ryoka woman. Despite some of the more traditional spirit’s thoughts, the girl was well respected in most circles. From what little he had heard about her from the Shinigami who had heard about her from other squad members who’d met her first hand Ichigo Kurosaki was charismatic and powerful. 

While Riku had been lost in his thoughts the conversation had once again turned towards Rukia and Renji’s engagement, or more importantly, the lack thereof, as Byakuya and Elder Asahi supported the union and Elders Tomoe and Touma were strongly against it. Till this point Riku had remained neutral seeing the logic to both arguments but if it was possible. If there was even the slightest chance that there was _something_. 

“I believe that perhaps it is time to proceed forward in Rukia Kuchiki and Renji Abarai’s relationship,” Riku stated. His tone was deceptively neutral as he declared, “We have already been debating the matter for almost a decade. Their relationship has persisted throughout and both show no signs of disinterest.”

Elder Touma opened his mouth to protest but Riku cut him off, “Renji Abarai may not be a noble but he has earned his position as Byakuya’s vice-captain and has maintained the position with little difficulty. As long as he agrees to carry the Kuchiki name I see little problem with it.” 

Across from him, Byakuya was carefully examining the oldest Elder; his expression was carefully blank but Riku was old enough to recognize the surprise in the younger’s eyes.

 _‘Just perhaps…’_ Riku thought, _‘It’s a possibility.’_

* * *

_Lionheart (n.)_

_a person who is brave and determined._

**Author's Note:**

> I stole the Butler's name from March Comes in Like a Lion.
> 
> If I have been INACTIVE on this site for TWO YEARS everyone is welcome to my stories. You can copy and paste them if you want to. As long as you acknowledge that EVERYONE can do this.
> 
> See Profile to see if I have been inactive.


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